tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
NPJ Vaccines
. 2026 Jan 22.
doi: 10.1038/s41541-026-01378-z. Online ahead of print.
Immunogenicity and protection of octavalent influenza vaccine candidates using adjuvanted proteins or mRNA-LNPs in naïve mice
João Paulo Portela Catani[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Anouk Smet[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Tine Ysenbaert[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Laura Amelinck[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Koen Sedeyn[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xavier Saelens[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Thorsten U Vogel[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Currently used influenza vaccines primarily induce antibody responses against hemagglutinin (HA). Neuraminidase (NA) has been proposed as a complementary antigen to improve and potentially expand the breadth of influenza vaccine protection. Here, we assessed the immunogenicity and protective potential of adjuvanted recombinant protein- and mRNA-LNP-based octavalent influenza vaccine formulations in naïve mice. The vaccine candidates contained HA and NA derived from the viruses recommended for the 2018-2019 Northern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Both adjuvanted recombinant protein and mRNA-LNP formats fully protected mice against challenge with homologous H1N1, influenza B, and HxN2 viruses. However, the octavalent mRNA-LNP vaccine elicited higher serum IgG titers against both HA and NA compared with the adjuvanted octavalent recombinant protein vaccine in this animal model. Furthermore, the octavalent mRNA-LNP vaccine also protected mice against challenge with the historical H3N2 virus strains X31, X47, and X79. This protection correlated with the presence of HA cross-reactive serum antibodies and was confirmed by passive transfer of immune serum into unvaccinated mice.
. 2026 Jan 22.
doi: 10.1038/s41541-026-01378-z. Online ahead of print.
Immunogenicity and protection of octavalent influenza vaccine candidates using adjuvanted proteins or mRNA-LNPs in naïve mice
João Paulo Portela Catani[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Anouk Smet[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Tine Ysenbaert[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Laura Amelinck[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Koen Sedeyn[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xavier Saelens[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Thorsten U Vogel[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 41571650
- DOI: 10.1038/s41541-026-01378-z
Currently used influenza vaccines primarily induce antibody responses against hemagglutinin (HA). Neuraminidase (NA) has been proposed as a complementary antigen to improve and potentially expand the breadth of influenza vaccine protection. Here, we assessed the immunogenicity and protective potential of adjuvanted recombinant protein- and mRNA-LNP-based octavalent influenza vaccine formulations in naïve mice. The vaccine candidates contained HA and NA derived from the viruses recommended for the 2018-2019 Northern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Both adjuvanted recombinant protein and mRNA-LNP formats fully protected mice against challenge with homologous H1N1, influenza B, and HxN2 viruses. However, the octavalent mRNA-LNP vaccine elicited higher serum IgG titers against both HA and NA compared with the adjuvanted octavalent recombinant protein vaccine in this animal model. Furthermore, the octavalent mRNA-LNP vaccine also protected mice against challenge with the historical H3N2 virus strains X31, X47, and X79. This protection correlated with the presence of HA cross-reactive serum antibodies and was confirmed by passive transfer of immune serum into unvaccinated mice.